Two Hopkins Basketball Coaches Make State Tournament Bests List

The Minnesota State High School League has included two Hopkins coaches on its list of “the top five coaches in the history of the boys state basketball tournament.”

The league released the list to celebrate 100 years of state basketball tournaments. The first boys tournament took place in 1913. Each week until this year’s state tournaments begin, the league will announce a different category of state tournament bests.

Hopkins’ has the earliest state tourney appearance of those on this week’s list. Maetzold—whose name graces —coached teams to five state tournament appearances and to state championship wins in 1952 and 1953.

He racked up an impressive record in the 39 years he spent as a math teacher, coach and athletic director in Hopkins. Maetzold— described in news articles of the time as “brainy”—won 47 consecutive games from 1951 to 1953, going undefeated in 1952. His career record of 508-62 has the best winning percentage in state history, according to the league.

Maetzold is joined by current Royals Novak steered Blaine to the tournament in 1987 and took Hopkins there 11 times—including six state championship wins in 10 years. Last year, ESPN RISE named Novak as its boys basketball coach of the year for leading Hopkins to an unprecedented third state championship in a row.